Steroids making a bitch attractive to male dogs?

RE: Steroids making a bitch attractive to male dogs?

Elisabeth Knappett — Sun, 02 Apr 2017 18:31:27 GMT

They were hoping to breed, but I have now got her booked in for neutering - hurrah! Considered apoquel as an option initially, after discussing costs, owners opted for steroids, but are now considering apoquel. Having got the skin infection under control, itching has significantly reduced to disappeared and not needing steroids at the moment. Fingers crossed we'll be able to manage topically only now.

RE: Steroids making a bitch attractive to male dogs?

Stephen Courtney — Sun, 02 Apr 2017 09:12:23 GMT

Has apoquel been considered? Doesn't always work and would of course be seriously expensive...

RE: Steroids making a bitch attractive to male dogs?

Julie Innes — Sat, 01 Apr 2017 12:44:37 GMT

Just wondering why they are keeping the birch entire. Surely they're not planning to breed an itchy newfie? I have a newfie in my practice with horrendous atopy. It's mother was also itchy, apparently, and they were thinking of breeding this dog too! Thankfully they couldn't find a stud owner that would allow their dog to be used in this bitch. I think it is becoming more of a problem in the breed.

RE: Steroids making a bitch attractive to male dogs?

Elisabeth Knappett — Sat, 01 Apr 2017 00:09:08 GMT

Thanks for that Michael - I was thinking along the lines of similar structure to oestrogen etc but couldn't figure out how they were all related (and am too lazy to go and look up) - was interested whether anyone else had seen anything similar.

RE: Steroids making a bitch attractive to male dogs?

Michael Woodhouse — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 22:10:30 GMT

Cortisol is an end pathway so there is no cross over and extra building blocks for reproductive hormone production:

Pred has a testosterone like activity (hence testosterone levels fall in males on pred) and testosterone is an oestradiol precursor (the hormone responsible for oestrus). I suspect in some dogs this effect is more pronounced and that is why they seem more attractive to males when on corticosteroids.

In humans it will upset the menstral cycle and can even cause things like facial hair growth.

RE: Steroids making a bitch attractive to male dogs?

Richard Carter — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 17:56:24 GMT

well all steroids have a common structure by definition and some are precursors of other steroids and we know of the overlap in ferrets between adrenal and reproductive steroids so not particularly surprising. Probably more surprising it doesn't happen more often.

And just to add I have a spayed 13 year old labrador patient that all entire males love to the point of drooling and licking - and the only thing she is on is rimadyl (and it isn't her anal glands they are licking) and at 13 we are not looking for any adrenal tumours either.

RE: Steroids making a bitch attractive to male dogs?

Anthony Todd — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 13:38:18 GMT

Be interesting if you gave her Ovarid [megestrol] instead of pred????

And if the itch stops when she is in season.....

Not suggesting you do though 'cos you'll be blamed for the pyo....

RE: Steroids making a bitch attractive to male dogs?

Elisabeth Knappett — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 19:08:44 GMT

Anal glands fine, no sign of vaginal discharge, no evidence of UTI and negative for fluid in uterus on scan - I am wary that this may be developing as she has had delvosterone in the past for season control but not for over 8 months now.

Symptoms started within 5 days of steroid therapy beginning, 2 days this time round. I don't tend to use continuous dosing either but a single shot of dex only lasted the 24 hours before she started itching again, likewise with oral dosing.

RE: Steroids making a bitch attractive to male dogs?

Anthony Todd — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 16:49:37 GMT

[quote user="Elisabeth Knappett"]anyone else come across this[/quote]

No never. but then I never used continuous steroids for skin anyway.

Anal glands haven't changed?? Early pyo?? Vaginal discharge??